Hidden depths of Amalfi

Hidden depths of Amalfi

Nicky Swallow lost her heart to Italy's famed Amalfi
Coast 30 years ago and has been returning on and off season ever
since. Venturing off the well-trodden tracks, she seeks out the
hottest new highlights, secluded old favourites and secret spots
that only the locals know about.

The Amalfi Coast remains an intriguing mix of
sophistication and simplicity. A mere seagull's spit from the super
yachts, chauffeur-driven Mercedes-Benz and five-star hotels,
another more rural reality exists. Around precariously stacked hill
villages, farmers still cultivate small plots of steeply terraced
land, and their wives make cheese; down on the coast, tiny fishing
communities make a living from the sea.

The link between these worlds is Strada Statale 163 - the
'road of 1,000 bends' - commissioned by King Ferdinand II of Naples
and completed in 1852. It hugs cliffs and deep gorges for 40km,
slicing through lemon groves and whitewashed villages, rising and
dipping above the shimmering sea. It is only ever wide enough for
two lanes of traffic, with little room for manoeuvre, so traffic
jams are unavoidable. And if you happen to be in an accident, well,
as the Italians say with a resigned shrug…buona
notte.

Pictured: a view over Positano's roofs

Positano

Positano had a brief moment of glory in the 12th and 13th
centuries when its merchant fleet gave Amalfi a run for its money,
but centuries of decline forced three-quarters of the
populationto emigrate to the USA in the mid-1800s.
When John Steinbeck arrived in 1953 to write his famous article
forHarper's Bazaar, he found a pretty little
fishing village known only to a few, mostly Italian, cognoscenti.
But the cat was out of the bag and thedolce vitajet set moved in, big time, in the 1960s.

Described by Paul Klee as 'the only place in the world
conceived on a vertical rather than a horizontal axis', Positano is
home to just short of 4,000 souls, although in summer thousands
more pile in daily from Sorrento, Capri, Ischia and Naples. But in
spite of the crowds, Positano remains utterly beguiling. You don't
come to Positano to see the sights; there aren't any to speak of.
You come to drink in the matchless views along with your Campari,
to shop for flowing linen and handmade sandals, or simply to watch
the passing parade of tanned women in gold sandals and immaculately
groomed men in pastel shades, cashmere sweaters draped over their
shoulders.

The only street level is the beachside walk, or at least it
feels that way: just about anywhere else you go will involve lots
and lots of very steep steps. There's always a buzz down here on
the grey-shingle Marina Grande, where restaurants, bars and tall
pines line the curve of sand. In summer, the serried ranks of
sunbeds fill up quickly; for the best swimming, take a boat to
explore the many small coves up and down the coast, a trip that can
easily be combined with a stop-off for lunch at Da Adolfo beach shack on Laurito Beach. Book a
table and wait on the jetty for thegozzowith the red fish on its mast to come and pick you
up.

For spectacular snorkelling in crystal-clear water, head to
Li Galli, the archipelago of three tiny, jagged islands just off
the Amalfi Coast where, according to Greek
mythology, the Sirens (orSirenuse)
attempted to lure Odysseus to his death on the rocks. Odysseus may
have resisted, but Rudolf Nureyev was less successful: he made the
largest island his home for the last years of his life. Hotels will
arrange the trip (in their private boat if you're staying at the
right place), or you can talk to one of the four Lucias at the
Lucibello boat booth on the beach.

Pictured: via Laurito in Positano

Praiano & La Praia

A few bends to the east along the Amalfi Coast road is low-key Praiano, which has
a couple of very cool, rather new, rather fresh places to stay.
There isn't really a centre to the village (unless you count the
busy Bar del Sole), but it has a huge church with a colourful dome,
and a rocky beach, La Gavitella, at the bottom of 350-plus steps,
where you can enjoy the last rays of the evening sun - bliss on
this convoluted stretch of coast.

To really understand the topography of thecostierahere, you need to get down to sea level.
You can pick up a boat in Positano or Amalfi, but you can also take
a detour down to cute Marina di Praia (aka La Praia), a clutch of
cottages and a small beach wedged between towering cliffs, where
there's a boat concession and a couple of simple restaurants to set
you up for your trip.

Heading west, you will eventually reach Punta Campanella,
the wild, barren tip of the Sorrentine Peninsula and, beyond it,
Capri. But a gentle chug eastwards towards Amalfi takes you past
some pretty impressive scenery. It's liberating to be out on the
water and there's so much to take in that isn't visible from the
road: gorgeous villas suspended over the water; sea caves and
grottoes tucked into folds in the cliffs; solid Saracen defence
towers that speak of pirate raids and war; slivers of pebble beach
begging you to stop for a quick dip; waterside restaurants perfect
for lazy lunches.

The jagged coastline to the east of La Praia is broken by
the Vallone di Furore gorge, which shelters at its mouth a few
ancient fishermen's huts hewn from the rock face and a tiny scrap
of beach. Further on is the Grotta dello Smeraldo (you'll know
you're there from the tourist boats swarming around it), named
after the intense, greenish light that filters into the cave from
an underwater arch. Just beyond the Capo di Conca headland lies the
pretty fishing village of Marina di Conca, with a handful of
restored fishermen's houses, a couple of restaurants and a tiny,
whitewashed chapel, all overlooking a shingle beach lapped by
crystal-clear water.

Back up on Strada Statale 163 (SS163), a towering viaduct
crosses the Vallone di Furore, giving a bird's-eye view of the
fishing hamlet far below, and is a suitably vertiginous venue for
the annual Mediterranean Cup High Diving Championship. In the hills
directly above the gorge (to reach it you have to drive almost to
Amalfi before doubling back) lies the little bohemian town of
Furore. Beyond it is the fertile plain of Agerola, where soft-eyed,
brown Agerolese cows provide milk for delicious cheeses such as the
ovoid Provolone del Monaco andfior di latte
Agerolese(cow's-milk mozzarella).

Apart from the dizzying views, there is a good reason for
coming up here: a visit to Marisa Cuomo's Gran Furor Divina
Costiera winery, where Cuomo and her husband Andrea Ferraioli
produce much-lauded DOC Costa d'Amalfi wines, rich with the tastes
of sea and sun.

Pictured: the bridge at Furore, between Praiano and
Amalfi

Amalfi & Atrani

The lifeblood of Amalfi today is tourism, but between the
ninth and 12th centuries it was aproud and glorious
maritime republic with a population of 80,000, a rival to Venice,
Pisa and Genoa. The Amalfitani learnt to make paper from Arab
traders, producingbambagina, a thick, heavy
parchment made from cotton and linen rags, and in the 18th century
the steep, narrow Valle dei Mulini and surrounding area were
clogged with paper mills.

The hard sell in Amalfi these days is garish ceramics,
neon-yellow limoncello in gimmicky bottles and the
ubiquitousmenu turistico. But it's a very
pretty little town with a fascinating history, in a spectacular
setting wedged between the sea and the mountains, with several good
restaurants and the wonderful Hotel Santa Caterina. And if you abandon the
tourist-jammed main drag and climb up into the warren of narrow,
tunnel-like side alleys and steep stairways, you will be catapulted
back into the Middle Ages.

Life centres on the open-air salon of Piazza del Duomo,
dominated by the flamboyant, striped façade of the
Norman-Arab-style cathedral with its interlaced arches and a set of
magnificent bronze doors cast in Constantinople in
1066.

The best place to refuel and reflect is the charming old
Pasticceria Pansa, whosedelizie al limone,
creamy cakes flavoured with local lemons, are legendary. Juicy
Amalfi lemons make excellent limoncello, the local brew that will
often be produced, homemade and straight from the freezer, at the
end of a feast.

To escape Amalfi's crowds, take the stepped footpath that
leads over the hill to Atrani, a fishing village with an
atmospheric tangle of tightly packed buildings, tunnelled walkways
and staircases and a brilliant trattoria, A'Paranza. If you are driving, you probably
won't even realise you're in Atrani until it's too late: the SS163
sweeps right over the top of it on a viaduct.

Ravello & Scala

There's a lot to be said for leaving the best until last, and for
many Ravello is the jewel in the coastal crown. This ravishing town
sits on a mountain buttress 350 metres above sea level, removed
from the frantic hubbub below. If Positano is the glamour-puss of
the costiera, Ravello is its refined, aristocratic
cousin.

Like Amalfi, the town used to be much larger and richer. Its
once-elegant palazzi, secluded villas, dreamy gardens, magnificent
views and romantic sense of faded glory have inspired a steady
stream of A-list writers, artists and musicians since the days of
the Grand Tour. Even now, once the tour groups have gone, there's a
real feeling of otherworldliness here, and you really should stay
the night (there's no shortage of excellent hotels).

Most people come to Ravello to see its two magnificent garden
estates. In 1880 Richard Wagner famously drew inspiration for his
opera Parsifal from the romantic garden of Villa Rufolo,
restored in the mid-1800s by the Scotsman Francis Neville Reid.
Another Brit, Lord Grimthorpe, bought Villa Cimbrone in 1904 and
created an extravagant garden with dizzying views. The villa was a
hangout for the Bloomsbury set in the 1920s and a love nest for
Greta Garbo and the conductor Leopold Stokowski in the 1930s; it is
now a hotel.

Ravello is also home to the coast's most beautiful church, the
refreshingly spare 11th-century Duomo di Ravello, and its only
distinguished example of contemporary architecture: Oscar
Niemeyer's futuristic New Energy Auditorium, a dazzlingly white,
concrete-and-glass structure overlooking the Gulf of Salerno,
designed to reflect the swell of the sea.

Just beyond Ravello, balanced on the opposite side of the Valle
del Dragone, lies sleepy Scala. It is a real little charmer and was
once an important outpost of the Amalfi Republic, evidence of which
can still be found in its faded palazzi and disproportionately
large 12th-century duomo.

Steinbeck's observation that 'Positano bites deep; it is a dream
place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes
beckoningly real after you've gone' could well be applied to the Amalfi Coast as a whole. In the height of
summer, when sandwiched between two fume-belching coaches on the
SS163, it's tempting to dismiss the whole experience as being
simply too much like hard work. But as the inimitable Gambardella
sisters (doyennes of the Hotel Santa Caterina in Amalfi) point out:
'There are bits of the old life left on the coast, but you
have to know where to find them.'

Where to stay in Positano

Il San Pietro di Positano
This is the most indulgent hotel on the Amalfi Coast, a multi-storey tumble of rooms
built into a cliff by Carlo Cinque (great-uncle of the present
owners) in the late 1960s. The rooms are huge (and most have
full-on views of Positano), the terraced gardens spectacular, and
there's a Michelin-starred restaurant that makes the most of local
seafood and produce from the hotel's kitchen garden, with dishes
such as prawn carpaccio with herbs. A lift whisks you down through
the rock face to the private beach, a tennis court and the relaxed,
lunch-only Carlino restaurant. Back up top, the famous terrace is
one oftheplaces for a
sunsetaperitivo.Via Laurito 2 (00 39 089
875455; www.ilsanpietro.it). Doubles from €420

Le SirenuseJohn Steinbeck stayed here in 1953 when itwas
the Marchesi Sersale's summer villa. Now more sophisticated, it is
exquisitely managed by Swiss-trained Antonio Sersale and his wife
Carla, and filled with the family's gorgeous antiques and pictures.
The 59 bedrooms have handmade Vietri-tiled floors and vaulted
ceilings, and the pool terrace has the best bay views; the
Champagne & Oyster Bar is a primeaperitivospot, and the romantic La Sponda restaurant serves dishes
including scallops with artichokes. There is alsoa
spa and a vintage Riva speedboat.Via Cristoforo Colombo
30 (00 39 089 875066; www.sirenuse.it). Doubles from €385

Hotel Palazzo MuratThis elegant 18th-century mansion in the centre of town,
with a shady garden and dreamy courtyard, was once the summer
residence of Gioacchino Murat, King of Naples.For
space and atmosphere, go for one of the Deluxe rooms in the
original palazzo with their Bourbon-era antiques and
romantic four-posters. The other bedrooms are smaller and plainer,
with white walls, tiled floors and private terraces or balconies.
The highly regarded Al Palazzo restaurant creates modern takes on
local specialities such as herbed rack of lamb with millefeuille of
sweet-and-sour aubergine.Via dei Mulini 23 (00 39 089
875177; www.palazzomurat.it). Doublesfrom
€250

Villa TrevilleFranco Zeffirelli's former home is made up of four houses in
white, pink and blue. It is very beautiful and very secluded (truly
amazing as it's just outside Positano), and pretty much everyone in
the film world has stayed here, from the Taylor-Burtons to Sophia
Loren and Steven Spielberg.All the bedrooms are
different: the Bernsteinis white and blue, and
Zeffirelli's own collection of rooms is still furnished with his
antiques. The cook makes whateveryou want, whenever
you want it.Via Arienzo 30 (00 39 089 812 2411; www.villatreville.it). Doubles from
€770

La SpondaIts recent Michelin star confirms what many already knew: La
Sponda at Le Sirenuse hotel, under chef Matteo Temperini, is one of
the top tables on the coast. It is also the most romantic, with
dinner on the candlelit terrace accompanied by a couple of
old-timers on mandolin and guitar. Temperini uses modern techniques
to interpret local traditions, but his food (imperial prawns with
lemon marmalade; risotto with courgette pesto and tuna roe) is
never fussy, and the flavours are clean. Add a weighty wine list
and exquisite service, and La Sponda is a winner.Via
Cristoforo Colombo 30 (00 39 089 875066; www.sirenuse.it).
About €180

Da AdolfoA wonderful place for a laid-back summer lunch, this
shabby-chic shack on tiny Laurito Beachis now run by
Sergio Bella, the handsome son of the original owner. His brother
Daniele turns out super-fresh food such as marinated
anchovies,mozzarella di bufalabaked on
lemon leaves, and grilled catch of the day dressed with oil,
balsamic vinegar and mint. The local white wine is cold, refreshing
and cheap - and if you overindulge, you can rent a sunbed and sleep
it off.Spiaggia di Laurito (00 39 089 875022; www.daadolfo.com). About €45. Open May to
mid-October for lunch only

Da Tommaso allo ScoglioHire a boat from Positano to reach this beachside restaurant
where the emphasis is on seafood and fresh vegetables (from the De
Simone family's garden). The summer dining room, a wooden deck over
the sea, is a wonderful place to tuck intospaghetti
alle zucchini. Catch of the day poachedall'acqua pazza(in a tomato-and-herb flavoured
stock) makes a goodsecondo,and for
pudding you could try theamarenetart (with
cherries).Piazza delle Sirene 15, Marina di Cantone (00
39 081 808 1026; www.hotelloscoglio.com). About €90

3 DenariRows of the softest moccasins in every imaginable colour are
lined up outside this shop near the tourist office. Everything is
made locally: moccasins start at €55, simple sandals cost from €45
and the more elaborate, bejewelled models from €75.Via
del Saracino 8-10 (00 39 089 875062)

Maria LampoMaria Lampo opened her small business selling
made-to-measure trousers just after World War II and soon gained a
reputation for super-speedy work (lampomeans
lightning in Italian). The shop is easy to spot thanks to the 1960s
mannequins in the window, and Lampo's daughters now create the
bespoke pieces for women and men (including Dustin Hoffman) in
linen and cotton.Via Pasitea 12-16 (00 39 089 875021;
www.marialampo.it)

Ceramica AssuntaMake a beeline for the first floor of this shop where the
range of colourful and famously naive Solimene ceramics from Vietri
is almost overwhelming. The shop will pack and ship to anywhere in
the world.Via Cristoforo Colombo 97 (00 39 089 875008;
www.ceramicassunta.it)

Pictured: antiquing in Positano

Where to stay and eat in Praiano & La Praia

Casa PrivataA former fisherman's house in grounds that descendto a private rocky beach, Casa Privata has six bedrooms with
original, rough-stone cupola ceilings and large private terraces
with glorious views along the coast to Capri. The look is a stylish
mix of custom-made Indonesian furnitureand
early-20th-century design classics. The only downside is that it's
a steep climb up to the main road for lunch and dinner.Via Rezzola 41 (00 39 089 874078; www.casaprivata.it). Doubles from €195

Casa AngelinaThis dazzling-white, 1970s cubic structure is in a fabulous
location just outside Praiano, with views up the coast to Capri
from the pool, bar and excellent rooftop restaurant, Un Piano nel
Cielo. The all-white public rooms are warmed up with
hardwood floors and wacky Murano glass sculptures; the bedrooms are
scentedwith aromatherapyoils. For
proper privacy,book one of the four Eaudesea
Experience rooms which are in renovated fishermen's cottages just
above La Gavitella Beach, 150steps down from the
hotel.Via Capriglione 147 (00 39 089 813 1333; www.casangelina.com). Doubles from
€245

Il PirataWith its sunbathing platforms built onto the rocks just
around the cliff path from La Praia, people come to Il Pirata to
work on their tan. But a cocktail bar carved into the rock face,
tables set over the water and regular live music also make it a
cool evening hangout. Against a backdrop of gently lapping water
and twinkling lights, aubergine baked with mozzarella and
anchovies, and linguine sauced with highly prizedricci(sea urchins) will never taste better.Via Terramare (00 39 089 874377; www.ristoranteilpirata.net). About
€60

Where to stay, eat and shop in Amalfi & Atrani

Monastero Santa Rosa
This 17th-century former monastery dominates the shoreline about a
kilometre from Amalfi. The latest glamorous hotel to open on this
stretch of coast (Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene
were checking in as we arrived), it has knockout terraced grounds
and a swimming pool that seems to hover between sea and sky. After
more than 10 years' restoration work, the new-look Monastero has
emerged with beautiful, very soft, lovely to walk on
Jerusalem-marble floors and 20 cool if austere bedrooms. Some have
terraces, but all are furnished with a mix of custom-made pieces
and 19th-century antiques collected by the American owner.
Thereare lots of quiet spots in the gardens, but it's
the spa that will be the real pull. Perhaps it's a bit grandiose
for this area, but it's undeniably fabulous, with natural light,
stained glass, an ice cave and gorgeous Santa Maria Novella
products. The chef turns out delectable dishes such as
potato-and-nettle gnocchi with scampi.Via Roma 2, Conca
dei Marini (00 39 089 832 1199; www.monasterosantarosa.com). Doubles from
€375

Hotel Santa Caterina
This hotel, which opened in 1904, is the grande dame of smart Amalfi Coast hotels. Charmingly managed by the
Gambardella family for four generations, it combines undertones of
immaculate, old-school service with a contemporary kick. There are
sea views from the vaulted public rooms, garden terraces and most
of the 66 bedrooms. Two lifts whisk guests down the cliff side to a
rocky bathing area with a pool, gym, spa and the casual Ristorante
Al Mare; the more formal Ristorante Santa Caterina up top serves
unpretentious food, including a punchy fish soup with garlic
croutons. SS Amalfitana 9 (00 39089 871012; www.hotelsantacaterina.it). Doubles from
€290

Ristorante Eolo
This diminutive place with a sophisticated, creative menu and a
heavyweight wine list overlooks Amalfi's busy main beach. Menus are
seasonal with a hint of something more exotic; an autumn visit
turned up swordfish parcels stuffed with courgettes and burrata
with a tomato consommé, tagliolini with red mullet and wild fennel,
and oven-baked fish with chestnuts and piennolo tomatoes from
Furore. Book early for one of only three tables on the tiny
terrace. Via Pantaleone Comite 3, Amalfi (00 39 089 871241; www.eoloamalfi.it). About €110

A' Paranza
This informal trattoria, revamped after a flood in 2011, is a fine
place for a traditional seafood feast. One of its attractions is
the array of fishy antipasti della casa; standouts include
deep-fried courgette flowers stuffed with smoked mozzarella,
ricotta and swordfish, and gratin of minced squid. Follow these
with grilled pezzogna (blue-spotted bream), and
ricotta-and- pear flan. To drink, try an excellent white wine from
nearby Tramonti. Via Dragoni, Amalfi (00 39 089 871840; www.ristoranteparanza.com). About €90
ravello

Amatruda: La Carta di Amalfi You can still watch carta Amalfitana being made
using the old methods at this, the last of Amalfi's once numerous
paper mills. Amatruda's exquisite writing paper, thick and creamy
in texture with deckled edges, is favoured by the Vatican. Via
delle Cartiere 100 (00 39 089 871315; www.amatruda.it)

Pictured:shutting out the midday
heat

Where to stay and eat in Ravello & Scala

Palazzo SassoThere are magnificent coastal views from all43
lavish bedrooms in this pink palazzo with its Moorish, arched
windows, although only a few have private terraces. Service is
second to none, with more staff than guests andloads
of attention to detail (there's a sheet menu, for example). Fancy
some sea air? Take the free shuttle bus down to the hotel's private
beach club before heading back for an award-winning Martini,
followed by a romantic dinner at Rossellinis.Via San
Giovanni del Toro 28 (00 39 089 818181; www.palazzosasso.com). Doubles from
€280

Rossellinis The setting at two- Michelin-star Rossellinis - a formal
dining room on a dreamy terrace overlooking the Gulf of Salerno -
is divine, the service immaculate yet friendly and the food a
revelation. Chef Pino Lavarra produces beautifully executed food;
his menus are firmly rooted in the punchy flavours of Campania and
the south. Wonderful dishes include a seafood risotto with seasonal
herbs, flowers and green-apple 'sand', soufflé ravioli filled with
crab and spring onions, and a magnificent pigeon baked in a salt
crust that arrives, pigeon-shaped, on a carving board, waiting to
be dispatched. Via Giovanni del Toro 28 (00 39 089 818181; www.palazzosasso.com). About €250. Closed
November-March

Pictured: classic elegance at Palazzo Sasso, Ravello

When to go to the Amalfi Coast

BEST TIME TO VISIT THE AMALFI COASTMay, June and September are three of the best months to
visit the Amalfi Coast, with warm, dry days and average daytime
temperatures of about 26°C, and not too many crowds. Avoid Easter,
and August, when everything is absolutely packed
with tutti Italia.